Hatch construction



April 22, 1941. L. E. cARTMlLL 2,239,033

` HATCH CONSTRUCTION Fild Feb. l2, 1940 Z y e Patented pr. 22, 194i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HATCH CGNSTRUCTION Loyd E. Cartmill, Palo Alto, Calif.

Application February 12, 1940, Serial No. 318,511

4 Claims.

This invention relates to hatch constructions for metal car roofs, particularly hatch constructions of the kind wherein a hatch cover seats on the upper end of a hatch frame. The principal objects of the present invention are to prevent particles of ice, cinders or other material from lodging on the seat for the hatch cover and preventing complete closing of the hatch cover and causing damage to the seat engaging gasket or padding carried by said cover, and to simplify and strengthen the hatch construction and cheapen the cost thereof. The invention consists in providing the upper end of the hatch frame with a hatch cover seat which surrounds the opening defined by said frame and slopes inwardly and downwardly toward said opening. It also consists in .embodying said seat in an exterior downwardly opening hollow rim portion at the upper end of said hatch frame, and it also consists in the parts and in .the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the end portion of a metal car roof provided with a hatch construction embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical partial cross-section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal section on the line 3--3 in Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section similar to Fig. 2 through one side of the hatch construction; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section similar to Fig. 3 through one side of the hatch construction.

In the accompanying drawing, my invention is shown embodied in a metal car roof comprising end and intermediate roof sheets I and Ia, respectively, that extend from side plate 2 to side plate 2 of the car with their eaves ends resting on and rigidly secured to metal roof supports 3 bolted to the tops of the wooden side plates. In the side plate construction shown, the side sheathing 4 terminates below the top of the side plate, the roof sheets have depending eaves flanges 5 that overhang a fascia board 6, and the side wall insulation 1 is clamped to the side plate by means of a cleat 8 interposed between said insulation and said fascia board and side sheathing.

The roof sheets are provided along their adjacent margins with upstanding flanges 9 that are straddled by a seam cap I0 that is riveted or otherwise secured to said flanges and to the roof supports 3. At the lend of the car the end roof sheet I is supported on and riveted or otherwise secured to the outstanding top flange of an end angle II whose depending flange is. rigidly secured to a metal end plate I2.

The roof is provided with one `or more hatchways that lead downwardly into the interior of the car through the end or hatch sheet and a suitable framework located therebelow. Said framework preferably comprises spaced parallel frame or carline members I3 connected by spaced cross-frame members I4. The carline members extend from side plate to side plate with their ends secured thereto by suitable brackets I5. The carline members and the cross-members preferably comprise metal angles arranged with their top flanges facing outwardly and with their side fianges converging downwardly.

Each hatchway is provided with a metal hatch frame comprising a hopper portion I6 4that extends downwardly through the opening defined by the frame members I3 and I4 with its downwardly converging sides conforming to the inclined sides thereof. The hatch frame extends above the general level of the roof where it is flanged outwardly and thence downwardly to form an exterior downwardly hollow rim. portion I1 at the upper end of said frame. The depending outer wall of the rim l'I of the hatch frame inclines downwardly and outwardly; and the end roof or hatch sheet I is provided above the opening defined by the frame members l2 and I3 with an opening of substantially the same shape as but larger than said rim and with an upwardly and inwardly inclined edge flange I8 along said opening. This inclined fiange is disposed in lapped relation with the lower portion of the inclined outer wall of the rim of the hatch frame and is rigidly secured thereto preferably by means of a weld I9 of added metal that extends continuously along the top edge of said ange. Thus the rim of the hatch frame cooperates with the roof sheet to form a hollow upstanding rib on the roof around the upper end of the hatchway opening dened by said frame.

The hatch frame is provided with a unit cover and plug assembly comprising a hatch cover member 20, which seats on the rim of said hatch frame and is secured by suitable strap hinges 2| to the adjacent seam cap I0, and a tapered hatch plug member 22 sustained by said cover and having a vcompressible edge padding or packing 23 that seats against the converging walls of the hopper portion I6 of said hatch frame below the general level of the roof'. As shown in the drawing, the hatch cover has a wooden edge frame 24 and the hatch plug has a wooden edge frame 25 secured by bolts 25 to the cover frame. The combined hatch cover and plug has wooden bottom 27 and a metal top plate 28 with a lling of heat insulating material 29 therebetween. The metal top plate has a downwardly and outwardly inclined marginal flange 3i! that overhangs but is clear of the downwardly and outwardly inclined outer wall of the hatch frame rim.

As shown in the drawing, the Wooden edge frame 24 of the hatch cover 20 extends outwardly beyond the hatch plug 22 and has a sealing gasket 3l of rubber or other compressible material secured to the underside thereof, which gasket rests on a seat 32 provided therefor on the top of the hollow rim Il of the metal hatch frame between the downwardly and outwardly inclined outer wall of said rim and the hopper portion I6 of said frame. The hatch cover seat forming portion 32 of the rim l I ofthe hatch frame slopes or inclines inwardly .and downwardly from the top of the downwardly and outwardly inclined outer'wall of said rimto the hopper portion I6 of saidframe, such angle being slightly greater than the angle of repose for ice, cinders and other material on the metal of said frame, but not so steep as'to involve wedging of the upper gasket 3l. YIn the accompanyingdrawing, the slope of the hatch cover seat is shown as about thirty degrees from the horizontal and this is quite ample to prevent lodging of ice and cinders, but as the angle of repose varies with different materials,r the slope may be increased, say, to forty-five degrees to take care of such asmight lodge at a lower angle. The overhanging outer marginal portion oi' the cover frame 24 has its under or gasket `support surface beveled at an angle corresponding substantially to the angle of. the sloping. seat 32 provided therefor on the rim Il of the hatch frame..

By vthe ,arrangement described, the combined hatchv cover` and plug forms a double closure lfor the hatchway opening, one at the upper end of the metal hatchframe and the other in the hopper portion thereof below the general level. of the roof. .The downwardly and inwardly sloping inner marginal portion of the rim of the hatch frame formsr a flaring enlargement of the upperend of the hatchway opening that constitutes a beveled seat for the sealing gasket carried by the coverY and prevents particles of.ic'e,l cinders and other material from lodging onsaid seat. and preventing l properlseating'of said gasket and causing damage thereto/ The vdownwardly sloping outer wall of the rim portion of the hatch frame cooperates with the downwardly and inwardly sloping seat portion of said rim to form a substantially inverted V-shaped section which serves to stiften and strengthen the upper end of the hatch frame and to prevent any accumulation of material around the mouth of the hatchway opening.

What I claim is:

l. A car roof having a hatch opening therein, a hatch frame in said opening and a cover for the upper end of said hatch frame, said end of said hatch being widely flared to provide a seat therein for said cover, the slant of said widely ared seat being slightly in excess of the angle of repose of cinders on the material of said seat but not so steep as to involve wedging of said cover in said seat.

2,. A car roof having a hatch opening therein, a hatch frame in said opening and having a Widely aring seat at the upper end thereof and a closurefor said frame comprising a cover member seated on said widely flaring seat and a plug member having wedging engagement with said frame below said widely aring seat, the slant of said widely iiaring seat being slightly in excess of the angle o1" repose of cinders on the material of said seat but not so steep as to involve wedging of said cover member in said seat. i

3. A lcar roof having a hatch opening therein, a metal hatch frame in said opening, a cover for the upper end of said hatch frame and a sealing gasket on the `underside of said cover, said end of said hatch frame being widely flared to provide a seatftherein for said gasket and thence inclined outwardly and downwardly to provide a downwardly-opening rimY around said seat, the slant of said widely flared seat being slightly in excess of the angle of repose of cinders on the hatch frame metal but not so steep-as to involve wedging of said gasket in said seat.

4. A car roof having a hatch opening therein, a metal hatch frame in said opening and-a closure member for the upper end of said frame coma prising a cover member having a gasket on its underside and a plug member having wedging engagement with said frame below said cover member, said upper end of -s'aid frame being widely flared to provide a seat for said gasket and thence inclined outwardly and downwardly vto provide aV downwardly opening rirn around said seat, the

slant of said seat being slightly in excess ofthe angle of repose of cinders on the'hatch frame metal but not so steep as to involve wedging of said gasket in said seat. Y i

LOYD E'. CARTMILL. 

